Pneumatic tire and inner tube therefor.



IIo. 678,5I0. Patented luIy l6, I90l.

C. 6. PAGE.

PNEUMATIC TIRE AND INNER TUBE THEREFOR.

(Application am June 7, 1901. (lo Model.) 7 2 Shoots-Sheet l.

m. 678,510. Patented July 16, [90h c. a. PAGE.

PNEUIATIC TIRE AND INNER TUBE THEREFOR.

(Application filed June 7, 1901.) (lo lndel.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

il ifi/flawaw FEW/via)? 4. $SMAMUL UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. PAGE, OF OAKPARK, ILLINOIS.

PNEU MATIC TIRE AND INNER TUBE THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,510, dated July16,1901. Application filed June 7, 1901. Serial No- 63,602. (No model.)

TO a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

park, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Tiresand Inner Tubes Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic tires of the class in which the tiresheath-or casing contains a removable inflatable inner tube arrangedwithin the casing, with one terminal portion of the tube lapping theopposite terminal portion of the tube.

- Objects of my invention are to close and reinforce the tube in a wayto oppose lateral spread at its corner portions; to permit atube ofcheap or compounded rubber to be closed by an elastic binding ofhigh-grade rubber adapted to resist rupture when the tube is inflated;to permit the tube, when so desired, to be closed and vulcanized on amandrel, and to provide a practical and effective way of closing theends of the tubes by caps without involving the objectionable featuresof employing molded end caps.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the end portion of aninner tube for pneumatic tires of the double-tube type. Fig. 2 is a likeView showing a portion of the tube cut away to form a flap. Fig. 3 showsa binding-piece. Fig. 4 shows the flap of Fig.

2 folded back. Fig. 5 is a section on line 00 we in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 showsthe tube portion of Fig. 4laid on the binding-piece. Fig. 7shows thebinding-piece folded back. Fig. 8 is a section on line z z in Fig. 7before the side portions of the folded binding-piece in Fig. 7 arebrought together. Fig. 8 is a like view showing portions of the piece 0united to form flanges or webs. Fig. 9 shows the side portions or flapsof the binding-piece over upon one side of its middle portion. Fig. 10is a section on line z z in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 showsa slightly difierentform of binding-piece. Fig. 12 illustrates the application of thebindingpiece of Fig. 11 to the end portion of a tube.

Referring to the figures of said drawings up to and including Fig. 10, Aindicates an end portion of an inflatable inner tube understood to beprovided with any suitable valve device and to be adapted for use as an2, Fig. 5, of the tube to provide a projecting flap B. This flap can befolded back upon and united to side 1 of the tube, as in Figs.

4, 5, and 6. With such arrangement the flap B will serve to close theend of the tube except at the end corners. In order to reinforce theflap B and to close the tube at its end corners, so as to avoid ruptureunder inflation, I provide a combined sealing and binding piece 0, whichpreferably consists of a sheet of high grade rubber adapted to stand allusual strain without rupture. An end por tion of the tube is then laidupon this sealing and binding piece, as in Fig. 6, so as to permit theunion of a portion of side 2 of the tube with a portion of such sealingand bindin g piece,the terminal of the tube being placed on or near theline 3 3 in Fig. 6. By this arrangement the piece 0 will, in effect,form two flaps, whereof the one flap O can be united to the side 2 ofthe tube, while the other flap O can be folded substantially along theline 3 3 and brought over upon and united both to side 1 of the tube andto flap B, which practically forms a continuation of such side 1. Thepiece 0 thus folded, so as to embrace the end of the tube between theflaps or portions O C is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. With thisarrangement the piece C will serve to reinforce the portion of flap Bwhich closes the end of the tube, except at the end corners of thelatter. In order to complete the cap, and thereby effectively seal upthe tube at its end corners, and to reinforce the edge portions of thetube to a desirable extent back from its terminals, so as to resistlateral strain when the tube is inflated, the'portions 4 of flap O whichproject laterally from the tube in Figs. 7 and 8 are then united withthe corresponding portions 5 of flap O, as inFig. 8. This can be readilyaccomplished by hand manipulation or by any suitable mechanicalappliance adapted to bring together corresponding flap portions 4 and 5,it being observed that such union will cause the flap portions 4 and 5to also unite with the edge portions 6 of the tube. In this way theair-chamber extends to the terminal of the tube, which is now, ineffect, closed by a cap having laterally-projecting wings, webs, orflange portions D D, Fig. 8, formed by the union of the flap portions 4with the flap portions 5. These laterally-projecting webs D are thenfolded over upon the tube structure and united thereto. One web orflange portion may be folded over upon one side and the other foldedover upon the opposite side of the tube structure, or both of suchflange portions can be folded upon and united to one side of the tubestructure, as in Fig. 1, in which it will be seen that these flanges Dare folded upon and united to the middle portion 0 of the sealing-piecewhich forms a side portion of a closing-cap. By such arrangement thetube is effectively sealed, and the sealing-cap thus formed by foldingand uniting the piece C is reinforced at points where reinforcement isdesirable, and if it is desired to further reinforce the cap asupplemental or reinforcing piece E can, in the first instance, beplaced upon the sealing-piece O, as in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 11 and 12 the cap is formed as hereinbefore described, with theexception that the piece 0 is cut so that its flap portion 0 will bewider than its flap portion C the result being that when the flanges Dare folded over parts of the portions 5 of the flap portion 0 will beunited directly to the tube, as at 7, Fig. 12, in which dotted line 8indicates the middle portion of the curved edge of flap 0 Fig. 11, whiledotted lines 9 indicate the remaining portions of such curved edge offlap C The form of the piece 0 may therefore be varied without departingfrom the spirit of my invention, which contemplates the formation of aclosing-cap upon the tube by folding and uniting a piece of rubberfabric. The flap B can also be dispensed with, and in such case thesealing and binding piece 0 can serve to entirely close the tube byforming a complete cap, reinforced substantially as described. Informing this cap the interior of the tube can be coated with soapstone,so as to avoid adherence of its opposing sides or walls, and the piece 0can then be applied to form acap, or the tube can be somewhat expandedby a mandrel, either flat or elliptic in cross-section, it beingobserved that by using a mandrel as an internal support for the tube theportions 4 and 5 of the sealing-piece can be pinched together close upto and against the portions of the tube on such mandrel, which latterwill permit the use of pressure exerted in a direction to secure a firmunion between the flap portions at and 5 and the edge portions 6 of thetube. In closing the ends of the tubes, as hereinbefore set forth, themeeting layers of fabric can be cemented together prior to or aftervulcanization; but preferably the layers are united either bycementation or by the natural adhesive condition of the rubber prior tovulcanization. It is also understood that Whether the flap B is employedor dispensed with the tube has an end cap-closure comprising fabricfolded upon the end of the tube so as to form flaps, which are securedto opposite sides of the tube, the fabricbeing of a width to permit suchflaps to project laterally from the tube, such project ing flap portionsbeing united to form lateral webs or flanges which are folded over uponthe tube and secured in place. \Vhere flap B is employed, it is unitedto side 1, and thereby forms a part of such side. Also after flap O issecured to side 1 of the tube it practically forms a part of said side.

It will also be seen that the foregoing construction of end closureinvolves a piece of rubber fabric folded to form two opposing flaps,whereof the end portions are united to practically form two integralwebs, while the flap portions between such webs form apocket or the bodyof the cap, which said cap has two webs D D. The end of the tube isunited to the inner wall of this cap, whereof the end closes the openend of the tube.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. Closing the end of an inner tube forpneumatic tires by folding a piece of rubber fabric upon the end portionof the tube, the fabric being wider than the tube so as to form twoflaps embracing the tube and projecting laterally therefrom; uniting theprojecting end portions of such flaps to form lateral webs 0r flanges;and folding such flanges over upon the tube and securing them in suchfolded condition.

2. An inner tube for pneumatic tires having an end cap-closurecomprising rubber fabric folded upon the end of the tube so as to formflaps which are secured on opposite sides of the tube, the fabric beingof a width to permit such flaps to project laterally from the tube, andsuch projecting flap portions being united to form webs or flanges whichare folded over upon the tube and secured in place.

3. An inner tube for pneumatic tires having aconstruction of end closurecomprising a cap which is united with the tube by cementation, orvulcanization, or both, and which involves in its structure a piece ofrubber fabric folded to form two opposite flaps which have their endportions united to form webs; the portions of such flaps between thewebs being secured upon the end portion of the tube.

CHARLES G. PAGE.

Witnesses:

OTTILIE C. FREIBERG, BERTHA M. STEINBERG.

